Thursday, 1 March 2018

A Look Inside the Morphing Grid - Jungle Fury / RPM [TV&Film]

There are two strong seasons I'm about to cover, and as an ending for the Disney era of Rangers, there could be no better seasons to do so. Jungle Fury takes the theme of teaching and learning and applies that theme to a whole season. RPM looks to the past to fix the present, all while being based in a parallel world.

Pai Zhuq – The Order of the Claw – trains students to
unleash their animal spirits. Three students are chosen above the others. Three
who will become the Jungle Fury Power Rangers. However, one of the students has
darkness in his heart, and is dismissed. A new recruit takes his place, having
proven himself by standing up to him. The story of Jarrod and Casey is told
throughout the season in several parts. As Casey takes on the mantle of Red
Ranger, Dai Shi takes over Jarrod’s spirit as a thank you for helping him be
released. Casey, Lily, and Theo need to leave the academy and find their new
master, since Dai Shi had destroyed the external form of their previous one in
front of them. They arrive at a pizza restaurant – which becomes both civilian
and Ranger base – to wait for their new master, who is revealed to be the
owner. RJ is more lax as a teacher, but he makes the team understand what it
means to be a team. Rangers always has lessons to be learned, but never has an
entire season been themed on such.

Megazord fights are introduced in the opening episode,
and are sometimes commentated on like a sporting match by a fly called Flit. At
first, not much is revealed about him, but later on we get his story. He lives
within Camille, a servant of Dai Shi who wants nothing more than to please him.
But with Dai Shi having taken the spirit of Jarrod, she also seems to have
taken a fancy to him as well.

The third episode has RJ teach Casey in a Karate Kid
manner some tricks of martial arts, and when the Five Fingers of Poison are
recruited, even more lessons happen. And there’s also a bit more love in the
air as it seems Theo has a secret crush, and seeing Casey and Lily together
without him seems to cause some hard feelings.

The Rangers work out their problems over the next few
episodes, and the Five Fingers of Poison get defeated one by one. Naja feels
Dai Shi isn’t up to the task of taking control of the city, and in an episode
where Casey learns to take responsibility for his actions, Camille is taking
care of the traitorous cobra. She also has a hard truth placed on her. Dai Shi
doesn’t seem to care about her.

The introduction of new Masters of the Order of the Claw
starts with Master Phant, who had retired from the Order and moved to a quiet
life in the forest. At first, he is reluctant to join in with anything, but
Lily gets through to him that more help in fighting Dai Shi will bring results
in finishing him for good. And just as the side of good are finding new
Masters, so too are the villains. Dai Shi is in search of Carnisoar – the Sky
Overlord – and using the life talons claimed from Naja resurrects the overlord.
Carnisoar unlocks the restraint of Jarrod holding Dai Shi back, which makes him
not even give Camille a chance. Theo gets training from Master Swoop, with
Camille resurrecting Jellica – the Water Overlord – to become her new master. Throughout
these few episodes, there’s a great sense of character, but nowhere is that
more apparent than when Jellica rises. Camille disguised herself and found her
way to the Jungle Karma Pizza, where Lily helped her with a problem. Near the
end of the episode, Camille reveals herself and makes Lily doubt herself on her sense of character. And the
exploration of character goes to RJ for the next episode.

Casey is wanting a new master like the other two have,
and RJ sees that as a failing on his own part. When struggling in battle, Casey
gets help in the form of Master Finn – who is revealed to be RJ’s dad. Master
Finn is part of a family who favours the shark, but when RJ wanted to find his
own animal spirit, it caused a rift between the two. The episode shows the two
fixing that rift and admitting their own faults to each other.

Ghost of a Chance continues the exploration of character
by focusing on overconfidence. The Rangers are completely sure that they are
unstoppable with nothing to fear, and the same goes for Dai Shi. The first part
shows the Rangers getting a major shock as they get beaten by Dai Shi – only
being saved by RJ surrendering himself. The second part has the Rangers go to
the spirit world and learn to face their fears – then return powered-up with
new animal spirits to inflict some fear into Dai Shi. During the Rangers facing
their fears, RJ and Dai Shi do battle in the temple arena, but RJ won’t fight.
However, Dai Shi has injured RJ’s animal spirit, which becomes a focus of the
next few episodes. Fran – who had been working at the Jungle Karma Pizza since
the beginning, but never had she been up to the loft where the Rangers live.
Thinking that RJ had left the TV on, she heads up there and sees the Rangers
morph on the monitors, and the reason they keep rushing off is explained to her.
She’s pretty accepting of their secret identities, and with the knowledge of
the Order, she is now able to help – though indirectly. That also comes into
play with these next few episodes.

The last of the Overlords is to be restored, and when Grizzaka
enters the picture, he takes over the running of the temple and unseats Dai Shi
from his throne. RJ’s animal form is getting out of control, and instead of
seeking help, he tries to run away. Fran is the one to help, and he then helps
the Rangers – with a little Ranger power of his own. Channelling his animal
spirit, he becomes the purple wolf Ranger.

As mentor becomes Ranger, Casey feels he’s being pushed
aside from leader. RJ gives him a reminder that he is still the leader, even if
another member calls the shots at present. And RJ helps some more by rescuing
Flit the fly. He was once a human who Camille had cursed long ago, and is now
unable to be outside her stomach for long periods of time. Since RJ had helped
Flit, Flit repays the favour when Grizzaka unleashes a spirit that causes RJ’s
wolf spirit to go haywire.

Another new Ranger is set to appear, as Dominic appears
on the scene. His introduction has just enough fun and serious moments to make
it work, which fits into his character. As Casey puts it, he’s a goofball, he
lacks focus, but he has the Ranger spirit. Again, it is Fran that makes the
right moves, where the others hadn’t really given him a chance. Dominic and RJ
are close friends from the academy, but even RJ isn’t convincing the others to
give him a chance. Meanwhile, Dai Shi has found the Rhino Nexus, but cannot
gain access. The next two episodes deal with that. With some mighty fight
scenes making up most of the next two episodes, there isn’t much to talk about
them, except those fights are well crafted. And Dominic gets control of the
rhino zord from the Nexus, using it to destroy Carnisoar.

The Phantom War – as I dub the last eleven episodes – start
with the destruction of Grizzaka and a fight over the crystal eyes. Jellica has
three, and the Rangers end up with the other five. With Dai Shi now back in
control of the temple, he proceeds with his plan of using the crystal eyes to
summon the Phantom Beasts. Their first task – take the three masters. Adding a
bit of personal in things with Gabby – Master Phant’s niece – is a nice touch
to forge a connection between civilian and Ranger worlds with Lily. The three
Phantom Beast generals use their Rinzin power to control the masters and bring
forth the Spirit Rangers. However, the connections the Rangers have to these
masters are the key, rather than the jamming device RJ intended to use. And it
is the ultimate risk of destroying those we love that RJ has to take. There’s
some great fights within these episodes as well, and when the Spirit Rangers
are rescued and join the team, the showcase fight of all eight is as
action-packed as you’d expect.

After a recap of the season which takes the form of a
game show hosted by Camille, the real end can begin. One of the generals
manages to steal Casey’s tiger spirit, and for that Dai Shi accepts their offer
to become the Phantom Beast King. However, despite his weakened spirit, Casey
is still strong. Dai Shi banishes that general and takes his Rinzin power. At
first Whiger is only after revenge for his shaming, but comes to realise that
Dai Shi is his real enemy, and helps Casey rescue the other Rangers and
restores his spirit. The connections forged is another theme within this
season, and nowhere is that more apparent than the finale.

The three Rangers are ready for their Masters test. Lily
and Theo pass. Casey doesn’t. Dai Shi’s hold over Jarrod is fading, and Casey
is witness to that. Not that anyone else believes him. There are many
interactions within these final three episodes that are the central point of
the entire plot, and Camille being the one who starts the path of Jarrod
breaking fully from Dai Shi is the connection of the first episode. Casey is so
sure about the good in Jarrod that everyone else cannot, that the second
episode is entirely based upon Casey and Jarrod’s connection with each other.
The connection forged right from the start. Casey is successful, and Jarrod is
split from Dai Shi, but while Jarrod helps in the battle against the Phantom
Beast generals, he doesn’t want to face what he has done while being controlled.
Hiding away, Camille is ready to prove she can be good, but for Jarrod, it takes a
bit longer to realise he should be making the effort to change. With Casey
having proven he is Master material, and Dai Shi defeated, he is now a teacher
at the academy. Theo finally works up to asking out Lily, Dominic is heading
out on a tour of Europe and asks Fran to go with him. Jarrod and Camille are
now students at the academy, proving to themselves they are good people, and Flit is now reverted to human form and has taken Casey's place at Jungle Karma Pizza.

RPM’s first episode feels bleak and desperate for the
start, as a battle strikes throughout the outside perimeter of Corinth’s
barrier. Civilians are all fleeing inside as an army protects against the
invasion. Cue one year later, where a lone traveller drives throughout the
dusty, deserted wilderness. That traveller has a run-in with Ziggy, and with Ziggy
by his side, makes it to his destination. That being Corinth. Though not without
a fight. The Venjix army have camps of their own outside Corinth, waiting for
any opportunity to strike. The barrier is raised to get Dillon and Ziggy
through, but that allows for some of the robots to get through as well. Enter
the Rangers. The second episode continues the battle between Rangers and
robots and keeps with the more serious tone. Imprisoned after the fight, Dillon
sees that Ziggy isn’t popular with the criminal world, and some of what those
criminals say gets to him. Dealing them a massive beat-down, the Rangers come
to visit him to recruit him.

RPM is on a slow burn of telling its story, pacing things
right down to fit with the more serious tone. Dillon accepts being Ranger Black,
but only on the condition that Ziggy is set free as well. Dillon’s past is also
haunting him, and he wants nothing more than to set back out on his journey to
find that someone close to him. Ziggy brings the lightness to the serious, and
while it can get a bit over the top at times, it hardly detracts from the
overall tone, which itself has started to lighten up a bit. When Tenaya-7 comes
into the fight, Ziggy must do anything to protect the Series Green morpher –
and is pushed to bond with it. Doctor K also gets revealed when questioned by
Dillon as to who she really is.

The deeper heart of the Rangers gets explored now the
slow burn opening is over with, with Ziggy’s past being handled great as a
focus episode. It also starts off the on-going relationship struggle between
Ziggy and Doctor K. Ranger Red gets into that which we received a hint of in
the opening episode, dealing out a bit more history of the Truman family – in
particular the current relationship of Scott and his dad. Ranger Yellow comes
in two parts, with the first seeing Summer’s parents come back. We see Summer
as she was before becoming a Ranger, which follows into the second part. That
second part also deals with the promise Summer had given her parents – that
being an agreement of marriage. Ranger Blue has Flynn reflect on his own
journey to becoming a Ranger. Doctor K gets her own focus episode, reflecting
on a mistake she once made. And it is a big one. Having been taken at a young
age and kept indoors for most her life, she was forced to create many things –
including the Ranger technology. After realising she has been lied to, she
created Venjix to strike back at her captives. But before she could contain it,
she was foiled and the virus grew. As a focus, this is one of the best. The
reactions sell it, and the way she has acted before make sense.

All of these focus episodes have something in common, and
that is looking back on the past. In a series based upon fighting back and
trying to reclaim the world from evil, that’s a good theme to have. Not only
are past and present relevant to the story, but what happened in the past is
still referred to in the present. It has to be so for the story as a whole to
come together, and there’s still one major factor of the past that was ever so
slightly hinted at back in the opening that hasn’t even been brought up yet.

Dillon has a past, that much is
clear. We know someone close to him had been taken and he was looking for them.
As we dive deeper into that story, we know both were prisoner in Venjix’s labs.
Dillon escaped, but his memories were pretty much all but taken. Now a virus
has been planted within him that will complete the process he was meant to have
done to him before his escape. Dillon is saved as Doctor K reveals to the
Rangers that she was the one who wrote the Venjix code and had used that to slow
the virus within Dillon.

Remembering a place from his
past, the Rangers travel outside the dome of Corinth to try and piece together
some of Dillon’s past. However, they run into Venjix, who had transferred his
being into a robot and attacked them himself. Stopped only by the presence of
Gold and Silver, Venjix tries again. Gold and Silver again come to the rescue
of the Rangers. And the people behind Gold and Silver are Gem and Gemma – the
only friends Doctor K ever knew. The two are excitable and child-like, always
wanting to go on the attack and blow the enemy up. And when they start humming
the tune Dillon has within his pocket watch, he questions where they heard it
which leads to a factory of Venjix. Dillon has a sister still around somewhere,
and the Rangers have to return to the factory anyway. A doomsday weapon is
being made there and it needs to be stopped. The operation is a success, but
they are no nearer finding Dillon’s sister.

Heroes Among Us shows some
great character with Scott. When he and Gem save his dad from an ambush, it is
Gem who gets the medal. Struggling with the fact he’s been overlooked by his
dad yet again, he decides to take action. Driving off into the wastelands, he’s
going on the attack. Gem finds him and the two find some prisoners. While the
plan changes, he manages to rescue the prisoners, but realises he shouldn’t
have acted out of spite. The prisoners that were rescued didn’t include
Dillon’s sister, but one of the prisoners revealed some crucial info. Venjix
has been creating hybrids of robot and human. And that there is the first hint
at who it could be.

And a bit of fun in And Action,
as the Rangers go behind-the-scenes to give a look at some of the things that
happen to make the show work. Stunts, fights, special effects and more are
looked at, and all of this is in-character which makes it that bit funnier.

Colonel Truman finds out that
Doctor K released Venjix, and sets the entire of his military force to finding
her. He is the one to do so, and an understanding happens between the two of
them that focuses on the theme of learning from past mistakes to make the
present a better place. Kilobyte has returned to the ranks of the villains, and
has started to turn the others against Tenaya-7. And he knows about her past as
well.

Dillon works out the keys, and
unlocks a second song within the pocket watch. One he’s heard before. Heading
into the wastelands, he is correct in his assumption. Tenaya-7 is his sister.
And at first she wants nothing to do with him – even after having it confirmed
from Venjix’s databanks. In fact, she tries to hold on to her robot side by
trying to rid herself of Dillon. After being saved by him though, she seems to
have a change of heart. Tenaya and Dillon head into Venjix’s main base to steal
coding, and it looks as though Dillon has been betrayed – except its all part
of the plan. Having beat up the latest Venjix creation using those codes,
Kilobyte captures Tenaya and takes her away. Next time we see her, she’s back
to fully controlled robotic form. Dillon tries to get through to the Tenaya-15
modifications, but with little success.

The recap episode of this
season has Ziggy and Doctor K trapped in a cave after Ziggy teleported them out
of trouble. With her computer password locked, the other Rangers have to think
what that password could be, all while the two trapped in the cave work on
surviving and the bond between them softens. And what should that password be but the one person she's currently trapped with.

Kilobyte has been feeling Venjix
has been ignoring him for Tenaya-15, and uses a small magnetic pulse which alerts
the Rangers to the master plan of Venjix. One large magnetic pulse would
activate many hybrids placed within the city – including those within the
military. That plan gets accelerated, and Colonel Truman gets captured. Ziggy
and Doctor K are captured from the Ranger base, Dillon manages to use a formula
that deletes the programming within him and also does the same with his sister when
he finds her. Kilobyte gets destroyed by the Rangers, but they are at a loss
for how to win against Venjix. Tenaya gets another chance to help by uploading a new virus into the Venjix system that weakens the Venjix and its army.

When they finally win, it’s a
bittersweet moment as the Rangers give up their morphers. Scott is now leader
of Eagle Squadron with Gem and Gemma being new recruits. Flynn is setting up shop
with his dad to replace the computer systems of the world. Ziggy and Doctor K
have got together and are forming a kids school. Dillon, Tenaya, and Summer are
off out into the wilderness, exploring the new world that’s growing.

Both seasons have a lot of character, but RPM has a problem that leaves it just slightly below Jungle Fury. That problem comes from something said within the behind-the-scenes episode. Always keep the camera moving to create excitement. For me - that didn't work. Not all the time, anyway. There are places that it does work, but then other times it goes over the top and can make you lose track of what's happening. It's not so bad that it knocks the season as a whole down a load of places on my list - not when it has such strong story and character - but it is something to note. Jungle Fury keeps things more lax, but knows when to get serious. RPM takes a more serious approach but lightens things up on occasion - though can get a bit over the top with that as well. Jungle Fury does well to get the fifth spot on my list, but it is a bit difficult to place RPM - more specifically whether to place it above or below Lightspeed Rescue. I think I can say that the placing reflects my thoughts on the characters as I see them.

Dino Thunder

Time Force

SPD

In Space
Jungle Fury
RPM

Lightspeed Rescue

Ninja Storm

Wild Force
Mystic Force

Lost Galaxy

Mighty Morphin'

Turbo
Operation Overdrive

Zeo

And with RPM comes Saban to take the franchise back, and while I can't say the three series in the next post are bad, I'm saying that they could do with some serious work - work that thankfully has slowly been building up from what little I've seen of Ninja Steel.